Two of Stellenbosch University (SU)'s eminent scientists received national acclaim on Thursday (30 June 2016) for their outstanding contributions to their respective research fields.
Prof Bert Klumperman, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, and Prof Michael Samways, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, won National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)/South32Awards. These awards recognise, celebrate and reward outstanding excellence in Science, Engineering, Technology (SET) and Innovation in South Africa.
Klumperman won a Lifetime Award for his outstanding contribution to SET and Innovation over a period of 15 years or more, while Samways walked away with top honours in the category: NSTF-GreenMatter Award towards achieving biodiversity conservation, environmental sustainability and a greener economy.
Klumperman, who has been involved with SU since 1998, is regarded as a world leader in Polymer Science, especially for his work on nanomedicine and the use of polymers for biomedical applications in collaboration with colleagues from other faculties at SU. Over the past few years, several patent applications have been filed on inventions that emanated from Klumperman's research group. Some of these patent applications have received significant interest from companies for potential commercialisation.
Klumperman received an A-rating from the National Research Foundation and also won the Gold Medal of the South African Chemical Institute (2013) and the SASOL Chemistry Innovator of the Year Award (2015). He holds the SARChi Chair in Advanced Macromolecular Architectures, co-authored around 170 scientific publications and supervised many postgraduate students.
"I feel very honoured by receiving this Lifetime Award at the relatively young age of 53," Klumperman said. "We are busy setting up a Centre for Nanomedicine and in that I hope to continue my work for the next 15 or 20 years with great relevance to society."
Samways won NSTF-GreenMatter Award for his significant contribution to insect conservation and biodiversity science, in particular, over the past 40 years and helped restore the Cousine Island in the Seychelles to its natural state. He is the team leader of the Mondi Ecological Networks Programme, a research group at SU that develops and fine-tunes design and management principles for ecological networks. Samways has been working for some years with certain large corporates in South Africa to optimize timber production without compromising biodiversity. He also advanced the further development of sustainable wine production.
"It is wonderful that South Africa's stunning biodiversity and its conservation is being recognized," Samways said. "Importantly, we have found ways by working with progressive companies like Mondi where we have been able to optimize timber production while future-proofing our rich biological heritage and ecosystem processes for many generations to come."
Recognized as the most prolific producer of research globally in insect conservation, Samways has 375 scientific publications, including 15 books, to his name. He has also received many awards, among others, a Gold Medal of the Academy of Science of South Africa, the Captain Scott Medal and a Gold Medal of the South African Academy of Science and Arts, and the John Herschel Medal of the Royal Society of South Africa.
- Photo: Proff Michael Samways and Bert Klumperman
